With little more than a small personal loan and loads of will power, the Urban Farm Fermentory was founded in Portland Maine, at 200 Anderson st. Bay FOUR in the spring of 2010. The mission is to explore and ferment the seasonal flavors of Maine. Our focus is to produce simple, tasty and unique products. We seek to educate and engage our local and extended community by sharing the knowledge of the benefits of fermentation and healthy local ingredients.
In the fall of 2012, Bay ONE, a 5000 sq ft unit became available in our complex and we began the process of transforming it over the winter into Portland’s first dedicated food hub. Several zoning and licensing hurtles have been overcome to allow these changes within this business zone. Portland is lacking a facility where startups and nano producers can legally make and package their artisanal products. Our project is a step in the right direction and already has two working bakeries, a creamery, an apothecary and an organic popsicle company. In the spring of 2013 we acquired
Bay TWO and Bay THREE. We will use this space to expand our tasting room, and triple beverage production. Essentially we get it done.
We have been struggling to self fund the Bay ONE project and have completed most of the ground work. Now we just need the funds for the equipment to finalize this facet of the UFF. This is where you come in!
This is a two part campaign.
Part ONE is to finish the community kitchen project in Bay ONE at the UFF. We need five thousand dollars for the purchase and installation of the sinks, tables, outlets and movable partitions needed to create the three prep stalls intended for the 1000 sq ft area we carved out of Bay ONE. This area will also double as a zone for special events and workshops. These prep kitchens will be rentable daily by the hour at an affordable rate to startup food producers, food truck operators, or anyone needing licensed food prep space. Workshops and special events will generally be held at night.
Part TWO is for the purchase and installation of a seventeen hundred foot green house and heating system to be located on the abandoned rail bed behind the UFF. We need ten thousand dollars to complete this project. The first half this greenhouse will actively produce various herbs and double as the hands on area for gardening workshops. The second half of the green house will host a demonstration aquaponics system to produce fish, natural fertalizer and leafy greans. All produce from the green houses will be used first by tenants at 200 Anderson or sold at the onsite weekly market.
The goal for the green house is to be very productive, and to demonstrate various urban growing techniques while it highlights several different heating and cooling systems to manage the seasonal temperature changes of Maine.
Once complete we will be able to offer weekly makers markets, affordable and flexible start up space, as well a multitude of classes that will range from beer, wine and food fermentation, to urban gardening, papermaking and tincture creation... just to name a few.
Contributors to this campaign will be awarded credit toward their choice of a workshop, kitchen rental, or a market day booth.
By supporting this project with either a financial contribution and/or spreading the word and sharing this campaign you are directly and positively affecting future Maine based artisans.
Any funds raised will be distributed first to the prep kitchens / workshop area and then to the green house project. If we are unable to meet our goal, the necessary funds will then be raised at monthly special events within Bay ONE.
You are the reason we do this, and you are the reason it will succeed!
